His boss, Hughes, had messaged him: "Give them air quickly don't let them out.". [63], On 17 June 2021 a Vietnamese man who is being sought by Belgian authorities for extradition in connection with the deaths was arrested at a supermarket petrol station in Middlesbrough. GPS data showed it had previously travelled to Dunkirk and Lille in France and Bruges in Belgium. Many of their families borrowed heavily to fund their passage, relying on their potential future earnings once they got into the UK. Essex lorry deaths: The supposed 'VIP' journey that killed 39 people 21 December 2020 Essex lorry deaths Pham Thi Ngoc Oanh, 28, from Nghe An, wrote a text message that was never sent By. The friend put him in touch with a Vietnamese mystery man called Phong. During the lengthy court cases at the Old Bailey in London, shocking details from the tragedy were uncovered. He said on the fatal trip the temperature had been rising along with the carbon dioxide levels throughout, hitting 40C (104F) while the container was at sea on 22 October 2019. [80], Three other men were sentenced for conspiring to facilitate unlawful immigration: lorry driver Christopher Kennedy was sentenced to seven years, pickup driver Valentin Calota was sentenced to four and a half years and Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga was sentenced to three years. Investigations are being led by Essex Police, and involve the national authorities of the UK, Belgium, Ireland and Vietnam. All you have to do is to click here and type in your email address. [101], An international fundraiser through GoFundMe raised money to help cover the potential additional debts that the families might incur bringing home the deceased. [41], On 26 October, the Irish police said they had detained a man in his 20s at Dublin Port who was of interest to Essex Police as part of its investigation into the lorry deaths. It is seen beside a white police tent in the aerial shots. He was paid 25,000 in cash to pick up the container and had been instructed by Hughes to open the lorry trailer to give the migrants air shortly after collecting it from Purfleet docks, but he found they were all dead. [69] Judge Burns remanded the accused until 12 June 2020, when Ireland's High Court ordered his extradition to the UK. The journey of 23 October and the earlier failed run on 14 October were connected, said Bill Emlyn Jones, who prosecuted the case. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Ten teenagers including two 15-year-old boys were among the 39 people found dead in a lorry . "They did a brilliant job and they put us in a really strong position to continue the investigation.". In the CNN report, this question was described to be "about the possibility of Chinese citizens being illegally trafficked" and "was rebuffed by the spokesperson". ". White forensic tents were erected and camera crews were set up to document the investigation as the eyes of the world looked on. [86], Campaigners against human trafficking organised a vigil to take place outside the Home Office on 24 October in solidarity with the casualties. He persuaded them, saying he would only have to pay the 10,500 fee due to the people smugglers after he had arrived in the UK. Eamonn Harrison, a lorry driver from Northern Ireland, who dropped the trailer off at Zebrugge, and Gheorghe Nica, the coordinator of the smuggling operation, from Romania, were found guilty of manslaughter. He said the victims died in an "unimaginable way, because of the utter greed of these criminals". Video evidence showed how the trainer containing 39 Vietnamese migrants made its way to the UK. [54] On 20 April 2020 a 40-year-old man was arrested in the Republic of Ireland in connection with the deaths. I am sorry. [19][20], Initially the police said the deceased were all Chinese nationals and the Chinese embassy in London sent officials to assist with identification. [18], On 11 February 2020, Essex Police said that post-mortems gave a combination of hypoxia and hyperthermia as the provisional causes of death. Four men have been jailed for the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex. [75] On 8 April 2021, his extradition was approved. What she was seeing was a people-smuggling operation run by the same gang responsible for the 39 deaths. The trial exposed for the first time a complex and lucrative operation which has for years illegally brought Vietnamese people into the UK. [35][39] He appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on 28 October, when the Crown Prosecution Service alleged that he was part of a "global ring" of people smugglers. Christopher Kennedy, 24, another lorry driver from Northern Ireland who was involved in earlier people-smuggling runs bringing Vietnamese migrants from Northern Ireland, was sentenced to seven years. [103], Deaths of 39 Vietnamese in a lorry in 2019 in the UK, The location where the bodies were discovered in Grays, Essex, List of migrant vehicle incidents in Europe, "39 Bodies Found in Truck in U.K.; Police Seek to Retrace Fatal Journey", "Truck found in UK with 39 bodies has Bulgarian registration", "Irish company confirms it leased refrigerated trailer at centre of Essex tragedy", "Live: Murder investigation after 39 people found dead in lorry container", "Essex lorry deaths: 39 bodies found in refrigerated trailer", "Bodies of 39 people found in back of lorry on Essex industrial estate", "Driver arrested after 39 bodies found in lorry container in Essex", "Essex lorry deaths live updates as two houses raided", "Essex lorry deaths: tracking data reveals route in days before tragedy", "Truck container crossed English Channel on the Clementine ferry, CNN ascertains", "Essex lorry deaths: all 39 victims were Chinese nationals", "Post-mortems to begin on 39 found dead in lorry", "Essex lorry deaths: Vietnamese families fear relatives among dead", "Police release names of 39 people found dead in Essex lorry", "Trafficked Vietnamese and the lure of UK nail bars and cannabis farms", "Vietnamese lorry death teen escaped asylum centre", "UK police charge another man over deaths of 39 Vietnamese in truck", "Essex lorry deaths: 39 migrants found dead 'were all Vietnamese, police say |", "Father of Vietnamese woman believed dead in Essex truck: Smugglers said this was a 'safe route', "Migrants buy 'VIP tickets' to Britain to work on cannabis farms and nail bars, human trafficking expert claims", Vietnam collects DNA samples to help in Essex lorry deaths case, "Lorry deaths: Eight people arrested in Vietnam", "Bodies found in lorry have all been identified", "Second Man Charged Over UK Truck Deaths, Victims Now Thought to Be Vietnamese", "Three men convicted over chainsaw attack in Grays", "Essex lorry deaths: 39 found dead were Chinese nationals", "Essex lorry deaths: Police escort ambulances to remove bodies for post-mortem", "Irish people-smuggling gang suspected of being at centre of the Essex lorry container deaths has been under investigation for a year", "Crime chiefs issued warnings over migrants in refrigerated HGVs", "Lorry victims were trapped before reaching Belgian coast, officials say", "Essex lorry deaths: Two held on suspicion of manslaughter", "Essex lorry deaths: Fourth person arrested after 39 bodies found in container", "Essex lorry deaths: Driver charged with 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people", "Lorry deaths: driver was part of global ring of smugglers, court told", "Essex lorry deaths: Man in court on manslaughter charges", "Police ask Vietnamese to help identify lorry dead", "Man arrested in Dublin 'delivered lorry deaths trailer to Zeebrugge', "Police hunt for brothers from Northern Ireland over truck deaths", "Northern Irish man faces 41 charges over Essex lorry deaths", "Essex lorry deaths: Extradition proceedings launched", "Essex lorry deaths: Vietnamese police arrest eight people", "Man charged with immigration offence over Essex lorry deaths", "Essex lorry deaths: Vietnamese police charge seven people", "Essex lorry deaths: fifth charged over deaths of 39 Vietnamese people", "Essex lorry deaths: Man charged with immigration offence", "Essex lorry deaths: Man held in Ireland faces manslaughter charges", "Monaghan man facing extradition to UK over Essex lorry deaths was 'ringleader' in criminal gang, court hears", "Man alleged to be 'the ringleader' and 'chief organiser' of organised criminal group refused bail by High Court", "Man facing extradition to UK over migrant deaths refused bail", "Essex lorry deaths: 26 arrested in France and Belgium", "Grays lorry deaths: 'Taxi driver brought Vietnamese victims to continent', "Essex lorry deaths case: Haulier Caolan Gormley in court", "Essex lorry deaths: Haulier denies role in migrant smuggling plot", "Essex lorry deaths: Man held in Italy over the deaths of 39 migrants", "Essex lorry deaths: Man arrested in Middlesbrough in people-smuggling probe linked to deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants", "Essex lorry deaths: Police release image of suspect Marius Draghici wanted in connection with deaths of 39 Vietnamese nationals", "Lorry driver admits plot after 39 migrant deaths", "Essex lorry deaths: Irish truck driver denies human trafficking charges", "NI lorry driver admits manslaughter over Essex deaths", "Essex lorry deaths: State says defence raised 'nonsensical' claim at Monaghan man's extradition hearing", "Essex lorry deaths: Ronan Hughes to be extradited to UK", "Essex lorry deaths: haulier pleads guilty to manslaughter", "Essex lorry deaths: Ronan Hughes admits manslaughter", "Essex lorry deaths: Man admits offence linked to people-smuggling", "Essex lorry deaths: Four people jailed in Vietnam", "Vietnamese teenager accused over lorry migrants' deaths is wanted in Belgium", "Court orders extradition of people smuggling suspect wanted in connection with Essex lorry deaths", "Two men found guilty of manslaughter of 39 people in Essex lorry tragedy", "Essex lorry deaths: Two found guilty of killing 39 migrants", "Essex lorry deaths: Gazmir Nuzi sentenced over people-smuggling ring", "People-smuggling gang members jailed over Essex lorry deaths", "Essex lorry deaths: Man extradited from Italy jailed", "Essex lorry deaths: Trafficking gang ringleader jailed in Belgium", "39 bodies found in truck container in Essex: Live updates", "Andrew Marr Show, 27th October 2019, Diane Abbott MP", "UK sends extra staff to Zeebrugge after Essex lorry deaths", "One man arrested after 39 bodies found in lorry container updates", "Channel 4 postpones Smuggled broadcast after bodies found in lorry", "Channel 4's Smuggled criticised as insensitive in wake of lorry deaths", "BBC Two - Hunting the Essex Lorry Killers", "Essex lorry deaths: UK must bear responsibility, says Chinese state media", "Why would people from China, the world's second-biggest economy, risk their lives to enter the UK? "I saw some legs come out. [92][93] The question was then further criticised by Chinese media after the victims were found not to be Chinese. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. ", Justice Sweeney added: "The willingness of the victims to try and enter the country illegally provides no excuse for what happened to them.". VideoChess gets a risqu makeover, The Nigerian influencers paid to manipulate your vote, How a baffling census delay is hurting Indians, How Mafia boss was caught at a clinic after 30 years. They had been working legally as fruit pickers in Hungary when they phoned their families in Vietnam to tell them there had been a change in plan and they would soon be travelling to the UK. In the weeks before the tragic journey, the gang, led by Hughes and Nica, organised at least two other journeys smuggling Vietnamese migrants packed into the back of lorries into the UK. The ship left Zeebrugge in the middle of the afternoon, bound for the port of Purfleet-on-Thames, in Essex. [5] In the evening of 23 October, the Belgian prosecutor's office announced that they would also investigate the lorry's transit through their country. The crime scene is just a short distance from intu Lakeside shopping centre and the M25 Dartford Crossing. [77], On 11 January 2021, Gazmir Nuzi was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment after admitting a limited role in the smuggling ring, with the prosecution accepting that he was not part of the organised crime group. [24][25] By 7 November, all of the deceased had been formally identified. [77] Sentencing hearings for all eight guilty men are expected in January 2021. [76], On 21 December 2020, verdicts were returned on Romanian ringleader Gheorghe Nica of Basildon and lorry driver Eamonn Harrison from County Down. What happened in the Ukraine helicopter crash? "There is no VIP service - these are the lies people are told to be exploited," he said. It's unclear who they are or exactly how they came into the country but one of the biggest murder investigations in British history is underway. It's awful. He loved football very much and he loved UK teams as well as the Champions League. Exactly two years ago, Essex was dealt one of the worst tragedies it's ever seen. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Read about our approach to external linking. He was charged with 41 offences, including 39 of manslaughter, and extradition proceedings began in the Irish High Court. There were days when he called ten times. He would say 'Daddy just needs to see Mummy and the kids'. Witness X described how he was ushered on to the back of the trailer at a rendezvous point in northern France. "On that boat in the night, there was no-one to hear them and no-one to help them. [69] Counsel for the Minister for Justice, Ronan Kennedy SC disagreed, calling the claim of extraterritoriality a red herring and that the court should not engage in a "fanciful debate" as to whether other states had jurisdiction to try these offences. The two main offenders, Ronan Hughes and Gheorghe Nica, were given 20 years (for 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiring to bring people into the country unlawfully) and 27 years (for manslaughter and people-smuggling), respectively. On 23 October 2019, the bodies of 39 Vietnamese people 31 men and 8 women were found in the trailer of an articulated refrigerator lorry in Grays, Essex, United Kingdom. [49][50] In February 2020 five men and two women were charged in Vietnam with "organising or broking others to flee abroad or stay abroad illegally". He was returned to the UK where he was charged with 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The prosecution described the people-smuggling conspiracy as sophisticated, long-running and profitable. Pic: Essex Police, Police and forensics at the crime scene in Grays, Essex, in October 2019, Lorry driver Maurice Robinson is seen leaving Purfleet port in Essex after collecting the trailer containing the migrants, Gheorghe Nica pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of the migrants. The families of the victims who lost their lives continue to mourn their losses, with many still struggling with the debts of the money they spent in search of a better life. There's approximately 25. [4], The investigation is being led by Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Stoten, a Senior Investigating Officer within the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate. The stories of the 39 show their journeys from Vietnam were often done in stages. "All were to no avail and, before the ship reached Purfleet, [the victims] all died in what must have been an excruciatingly painful death. Recordings from some of the victims' final desperate phone messages were played aloud in court. [35], On 25 October, police arrested a man and a woman from Warrington, Cheshire, on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people,[36] and another man at Stansted Airport regarding the same offences. The trial examined three smuggling attempts by the gang - two that were successful on 11 and 18 October, and the final trip on 23 October. [29][30], The lorry and bodies were moved from the scene to a secure location in Tilbury Docks, another nearby port on the Thames, to continue the investigation. We choose the most important stories of the day to include in the newsletter, including crime, court news, long reads, traffic and travel, food and drink articles and more. When Robinson stopped on a nearby industrial estate, he found that the migrants were all dead. [55] On 29 April 2020 he appeared before the High Court via videolink, during which he was described as the "ringleader" of a criminal gang. [9] It arrived in Purfleet, a town with a port on the Thames, at around 00:30 on 23 October and was picked up with the cab there about half-an-hour later. Belgian officials said the eight women . Have a good life. Det Ch Insp Stoten said: "This crime group have been stopped on many, many, occasions in Europe and the UK - and they continued. Something went wrong, please try again later. We wouldn't transport animals in that way. [59], On 15 December 2020, a Vietnamese man who was believed to have been involved in transporting 10 of the 39 migrants from a safehouse in Anderlecht was arrested in Redditch by National Crime Agency officers on a European Arrest Warrant issued by a Belgian judge. [60], On 17 March 2021 a 23-year-old haulier from Caledon, County Tyrone was charged with conspiracy to assist illegal immigration in connection with the deaths. Want the latest Essex news direct to your inbox? Mr Justice Sweeney told the defendants jailed for manslaughter they would serve two-thirds of the term in custody, instead of the usual half. However the involvement of the lorry drivers offered them no protection when too many people were packed into one container. [4] Other refugee groups have expressed concern that the border confusion surrounding Brexit will give more opportunities for groups to commit similar crimes. They're not breathing.". Eight women and 31 men were sealed inside the vehicle for at least 12 hours as temperatures reached an "unbearable" 38.5C (101F). All of the paramedics who attended that night were offered "enhanced support" from the service's well-being team in the aftermath, she said. He saw what was inside and stepped back before closing the door. What led to her and 38 fellow Vietnamese nationals dying in the dark and sweltering heat of an airtight container? "I could visibly see numerous half-naked bodies in the back of the trailer, lying on the trailer floor motionless," he said. Police believe that the cab was driven from Northern Ireland on 19 October. Additionally, money was donated by Vingroup, and other Vietnamese associations across Europe. [80], On 21 March 2022, Dragos-Stefan Damian was jailed for three years and ten months after being found guilty of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. [98] After confirmation that they were all from Vietnam, the Vietnamese government strongly condemned human trafficking and called on all countries to combat such activities to prevent a recurrence of the incident. "He didn't go straight to the UK, he went to Germany first. Sixteen days after police officers found the pile of bodies in the back of the refrigerated lorry. The bodies of 39 migrants found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex were so closely packed together the first policeman on the scene could not check them all for signs of life, a court has heard. 2023 BBC. In the days after the news broke, Waterglade Industrial Estate was swarmed by police, forensics and press. [87], Channel 4 postponed a television series called Smuggled that was due to air on 28 October, in which British citizens try to smuggle themselves from mainland Europe to the UK. The discovery of the Thurrock 39 all began with one 999 call from 26-year-old lorry driver Maurice Robinson. The victims died from suffocation and hyperthermia in the confined space of the truck, which arrived on a ferry from Zeebrugge, Belgium. Antnio Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, tweeted that those responsible "must be swiftly brought to justice". Temperatures in the unit had reached an "unbearable" 38.5C (101F) as the migrants were sealed inside for at least 12 hours, the court heard. He was charged with unrelated offences. It was never sent. The two ringleaders of the people-smuggling gang responsible for the deaths of 39 Vietnamese people who suffocated in a sealed refrigeration container as they were transported across the Channel from France have received prison sentences of 27 and 20 years. The trailer had been shipped from the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium, to Purfleet, Essex, UK, and the lorry cab and its driver are believed to have originated from Northern Ireland. Pham Thi Tra My, a 26-year-old woman from Ha Tinh, Nguyen Dinh Luong, a 20-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Nguyen Huy Phong, a 35-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Vo Nhan Du, a 19-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Tran Manh Hung, a 37-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Tran Khanh Tho, a 18-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Vo Van Linh, a 25-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Nguyen Van Nhan, a 33-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Bui Phan Thang, a 37-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Nguyen Huy Hung, a 15-year-old boy from Ha Tinh, Tran Thi Tho, a 21-year-old woman from Nghe An, Bui Thi Nhung, a 19-year-old woman from Nghe An, Vo Ngoc Nam, a 28-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Dinh Tu, a 26-year-old man from Nghe An, Le Van Ha, a 30-year-old man from Nghe An, Tran Thi Ngoc, a 19-year-old woman from Nghe An, Nguyen Van Hung, a 33-year-old man from Nghe An, Hoang Van Tiep, a 18-year-old man from Nghe An, Cao Tien Dung, a 37-year-old man from Nghe An, Cao Huy Thanh, a 37-year-old man from Nghe An, Tran Thi Mai Nhung, a 18-year-old woman from Nghe An, Nguyen Minh Quang, a 20-year-old man from Nghe An, Le Ngoc Thanh, a 44-year-old man from Dien Chau, Pham Thi Ngoc Oanh, a 28-year-old woman from Nghe An, Hoang Van Hoi, a 24-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Tho Tuan, a 25-year-old man from Nghe An, Dang Huu Tuyen, a 22-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Trong Thai, a 26-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Van Hiep, a 24-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Thi Van, a 35-year-old woman from Nghe An, Tran Hai Loc, a 35-year-old man from Nghe An, Duong Minh Tuan, a 27-year-old man from Quang Binh, Nguyen Ngoc Ha, a 32-year-old man from Quang Binh, Nguyen Tien Dung, a 33-year-old man from Quang, Binh, Phan Thi Thanh, a 41-year-old woman from Hai Phong, Nguyen Ba Vu Hung, a 34-year-old man from Thua Thien-Hue, Dinh Dinh Thai Quyen, a 18-year-old man from Hai Phong, Tran Ngoc Hieu, a 17-year-old boy from Hai Duong, Dinh Dinh Binh, a 15-year-old boy from Hai Phong.